Gunwanti Paraste (Pune): Pune Regional Transport office (RTO) conducted a special drive to inspect the fitness and legality of the vehicles that transport school children.

In the drive conducted by 11 team of officers from RTO, each consisting two members – 227 vehicles were inspected, of which 66 were found to be faulty in various regards.

RTO inspected the vehicles for legal license for student transport, fitness of the vehicle, adherence to the regulations. Of the 66 vehicles, which were found lacking, 38 vehicles were impounded. A majority of these vehicles are 7 big buses, 15 small buses and 16 private vans used for students transport but didn’t follow one or more requisite norms, RTO Officers said.

Its important that the school principal and the transporter sign a common standard agreement, It’s in fact, mandatory. The parents should make it a rule that they will only send their kids into a bus which has all the legal formalities completed, including those related to traffic regulations and the CSA.

RTO officer said that although the District school bus safety committee has issued several requests to the principals of schools to enter into an agreement with the transport contractors for the buses, they are not eager to do so.

Team TNV